The Sierra Leone Advocacy Movement–Global (SLAM-GLOBAL) has congratulated Senegalese President, Bassirou Diomaye Faye on his assumption of the Chairmanship of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), while urging him to make Sierra Leone’s democratic reforms a key priority of his tenure.
In a press statement issued on 30th July, 2026, the advocacy group described President Faye’s emergence as ECOWAS Chairman as coming at a critical moment for West Africa, emphasizing that his leadership should be defined by decisive action rather than ceremonial engagements.
While welcoming the new ECOWAS leadership, SLAM-GLOBAL asserts: “congratulations must give way to action,” pointing out that Sierra Leone remains an “unfinished democratic test” for the regional bloc because of the unresolved governance and institutional reform challenges she faces.
The organization maintained that, despite sustained regional engagement, public confidence in Sierra Leone’s democratic institutions still requires strengthening. It referenced the April 2026 joint assessment mission by ECOWAS, the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), and the Commonwealth, which reviewed the implementation of the Agreement for National Unity and the recommendations of the Tripartite Committee. According to the group, the mission highlighted the need for sustained institutional reforms rather than symbolic commitments.
SLAM-GLOBAL further argued that the implementation of more than 80 recommendations of the Tripartite Committee, together with an additional 85 proposed electoral reforms, should serve as the benchmark for measuring political commitment to democratic governance in Sierra Leone.
The advocacy group also called on President Faye, in his capacity as ECOWAS Chairman, to authorize the full deployment of the ECOWAS Mission in Sierra Leone (ECOMSIL) to support peace building efforts, democratic institutions, constitutional governance, and the implementation of the Agreement for National Unity and the Tripartite Committee recommendations.
Beyond governance issues, SLAM-GLOBAL highlighted the country’s socio-economic challenges, noting that food insecurity, inadequate electricity supply, poor sanitation, unemployment, and widespread poverty continue to affect the lives of many Sierra Leoneans. The organization also described the growing Kush and cocaine crisis as a regional public health and security threat requiring coordinated ECOWAS intervention.
According to the statement, regional integration should deliver tangible benefits to citizens through stronger democratic institutions, transparent electoral processes, improved security, expanded economic opportunities and a governance system that is accountable.
Describing the ECOWAS leadership transition as a potential “moral turning point,” SLAM-GLOBAL urged the regional bloc to restore public confidence by advancing electoral justice, institutional accountability, and democratic governance across West Africa, with particular attention to Sierra Leone.
The organization concluded by stressing that history would judge ECOWAS not by the number of summit declarations it adopts, but by its ability to defend democracy, uphold justice, strengthen institutions, and improve the lives of ordinary West Africans.
SLAM-GLOBAL also reaffirmed its readiness to engage constructively with ECOWAS, national governments, civil society organizations, and international partners in promoting sustainable peace, credible democracy, good governance, and inclusive development throughout the sub-region.
See press release below:
July 30th, 2026
PRESS STATEMENT
CONGRATULATIONS MUST GIVE WAY TO ACTION: SIERRA LEONE
REMAINS ECOWAS’ UNFINISHED DEMOCRATIC TEST
The Sierra Leone Advocacy Movement-Global (SLAM-GLOBAL) warmly congratulates His Excellency President Bassirou Diomaye Faye on his assumption of the Chairmanship of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS at the historic 69th Ordinary Summit held in Sierra Leone.
We extend this congratulations with respect, with hope, and with profound urgency. President Faye assumes leadership at one of the most consequential moments in ECOWAS history. His prior mandate to facilitate engagement with Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, together with his immediate diplomatic outreach to Mali upon assuming office, demonstrates an understanding that leadership is measured not by ceremonies, butby courageous action. In moments of regional uncertainty, movement matters.
Engagement matters. Courage matters. West Africans need leaders who act-not leaders who wait for crises to define them.
Yet congratulations without truth would be an injustice to the millions who continue to suffer.
We therefore write not on behalf of governments, political parties, or privileged elites.
We write on behalf of:
* the market woman whose harder work produces less income;
* the fisherman whose labour no longer guarantees dignity;
* the farmer battling poverty without meaningful institutional support;
* the graduate whose dreams have been postponed indefinitely;
* the informal worker surviving without social protection;
* the mother whose child faces hunger, addiction, unemployment, or hopelessness;
* and the ordinary Sierra Leonean whose vote, voice, and future still feel negotiable.
These are the forgotten citizens. They are the first to suffer, the last to be heard, and the true constituency that ECOWAS was created to serve.
Sierra Leone Remains Unfinished Democratic Business
Mr. Chairman,
Sierra Leone remains unfinished business for ECOWAS.
The evidence is not political-it is institutional.
In April 2026, ECOWAS, together with UNOWAS and the Commonwealth, returned to Sierra Leone to assess implementation of the Agreement for National Unity and the
June 2024 Tripartite Committee recommendations. That mission was not ceremonial. It represented a clear acknowledgment that:
* confidence in democratic governance still requires restoration;
* national cohesion still requires protection;
* and institutional reforms still require sustained monitoring.
The country’s own reform process tells the same story.
The Tripartite Committee identified over 80 recommendations requiring implementation, while a separate review of Sierra Leone’s electoral architecture proposed 85 additional institutional reforms designed to strengthen transparency, independence, and public confidence in future elections.
The message is unmistakable:
Implementation-not declarations-has become the true measure of political commitment.
The continued presence of the ECOWAS Mission in Sierra Leone (ECOMSIL) underscores that Sierra Leone’s democratic and security challenges remain unresolved. We therefore respectfully urge Your Excellency, as Chairman of ECOWAS, immediately authorize the full deployment of ECOMSIL, consistent with its mandate, to safeguard peace, protect democratic institutions, support the full implementation of the Agreement for National Unity and the Tripartite recommendations, restore public confidence, and help guarantee lasting stability, constitutional governance, and the rule of law. Sierra Leone cannot afford further delay where peace, democracy, justice, and the security of its people remain at stake.
The People Cannot Wait While Institutions Delay Human suffering does not pause while committees meet.
Children cannot postpone hunger until reforms are completed.
Families cannot suspend poverty until another summit.
Young people cannot delay addiction while governments debate policy.
The reality confronting ordinary Sierra Leoneans remains sobering.
* Food insecurity continues to affect a large proportion of the population.
* Electricity access remains below 40 percent.
* Safely managed sanitation reaches only a small minority of citizens.
* GDP per capita remains among the lowest in the region.
Meanwhile, cocaine and Kush has evolved beyond a national crisis.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) now recognizes it as a regional security and public health threat that originated in Sierra Leone before spreading rapidly across West Africa.
If regional integration cannot be felt:
* in the price of food,
* in the safety of neighbourhoods,
* in opportunities for young people,
* in the fight against organized crime,
* in transparent elections,
* and in the dignity of ordinary life, then regional integration risks becoming a language spoken above the people instead of with them.
A Defining Moment for ECOWAS
For this reason, the transition in ECOWAS leadership must become far more than a constitutional handover.
It must become a moral turning point.
The appointment of a Chairman already deeply engaged in the Sahel peace process, combined with ECOWAS’ continued engagement in Sierra Leone’s democratic reforms,
demonstrates that the Community understands the difference between symbolism and substance.
The people of Sierra Leone now respectfully ask ECOWAS to demonstrate that same practical leadership by advancing:
* electoral justice in Sierra Leone;
* credible electoral reforms;
* good governance;
* institutional accountability;
* economic opportunity;
* regional security;
* and the rescue of an entire generation endangered by unemployment, organized crime, and drug addiction.
A Historic Opportunity to Restore ECOWAS’ Moral Authority
Mr. Chairman,
ECOWAS was never created simply to organize summits.
It was created to defend democracy.
It was created to preserve peace.
It was created to protect the dignity of West Africans.
SLAM-GLOBAL therefore respectfully calls upon President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to restore the moral clarity that once made ECOWAS one of Africa’s most respected regional institutions.
Let Sierra Leone become:
* the place where democracy means more than electoral certification;
* the place where peace means more than the absence of gunfire;
* the place where accountability means more than carefully worded communiqués;
* the place where regional integration is measured not by diplomatic speeches, but by improvements in people’s daily lives.
Let ECOWAS once again become an institution that listens first to its citizens-not merely to its governments.
Because the true legitimacy of any regional organization is measured not by the comfort of presidents, but by the confidence of ordinary people.
History Is Watching
History will not remember who occupied the Chair.
History will remember what the Chair accomplished.
It will remember whether ECOWAS:
* protected democracy when it was tested;
* defended justice when it was inconvenient;
* stood with the vulnerable instead of the powerful;
* restored confidence in regional institutions;
* and placed the welfare of the people above political expediency.
Leadership is temporary. Legacy is permanent.
SLAM-GLOBAL stands ready to engage constructively with ECOWAS, democratic institutions, civil society, international partners, and all stakeholders committed
to building a Sierra Leone-and a West Africa-where:
* justice is visible;
* democracy is credible;
* institutions serve the people;
* economic opportunity is shared;
* peace is sustainable;
* and the voices of ordinary citizens are finally heard, respected, and protected.
Because the future of West Africa will not ultimately be determined by the speeches delivered in summit halls-but by whether hope returns to the homes of its people.
P.S. We invite you to explore our recently published analysis in a book, “Building a Nation: Good Governance and Democratic Principles in Sierra Leone.” As we unite for change in 2026, this resource
provides valuable insights for activists, policymakers, and concerned citizens committed to Sierra Leone’s transformation. Find it here: link. Signed,
Dr. Alfred A. Veenod Fullah
DIRECTOR-GENERAL
CC:
Office of the President of Sierra Leone
* Office of the Vice President of Sierra Leone
* Speaker of the Sierra Leone House of Parliament
* Office of the Chief Minister of the Government of Sierra Leone
* Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL)
* Inspector General of Sierra Leone Police
* Chief of Defence Staff, Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF)
* Office of National Security, Sierra Leone
* Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion
* Leonardo Santos Simao, Representative of the Secretary-General & Head of UN Office for
* West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS)
* African Union (AU)
* Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
* Amnesty International
* Marco Rubio, United States Secretary of State
* Vice President, Congressional and Public Affairs
* The Commonwealth Secretary-General
* Karim Ahmad Khan, Chief Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC)
* Richard YOUNG, Chief de Division, Afrique de l’Ouest
* Ms. Ursula Von Der Lyen, European Commissioner
* The United Nations Representative in Sierra Leone
* H. E. Oumar Touray, President of ECOWAS Commission
* Madam Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang, former VP of The Gambia
* H.E John Dramani Mahama, President of Ghana
* H. E. Bassiru Faye, President of Senegal
* H.E. Mamadi Doumbouya, President of Guinea
* H.E. Joseph Boakai, President of Liberia
* David Lammy, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth & Dev Affairs, UK
* Neil Alan John Coyle, MP for Bermondsey & Old Southwark, UK
* Ambassador Aly Diallo, Ambassador of the Republic of Guinea to the UK&I
* Ambassador Mohammad Maidugu, Acting High Commissioner of Nigeria in the UK&I
* Her Excellency Dr Fatou Bensouda, Head of Mission, The Gambia high Commission, UK&I
* H.E Fatimata Dia, Ambassador of Senegal to the UK&I
* H.E Gurly T. Gibson-Schwarz, Ambassador of Liberia to the UK&I
* Her Excellency Josephine Gauld, British High Commissioner to Sierra Leone
*Ambassador of the United States of America to Sierra Leone
* Head of the European Union Delegation in Sierra Leone
* General Consul of Canada in Sierra Leone
* Ambassador of China to Sierra Leone
* Ambassador of Germany to Sierra Leone
* Ambassador of Lebanon to Sierra Leone
* Ambassador of Iran to Sierra Leone
* Ambassador of Brazil to Sierra Leone
* Ambassador of Sweden to Sierra Leone
* Ambassador of Libya to Sierra Leone
* Ambassador of Egypt to Sierra Leone
* Ambassador of Cuba to Sierra Leone
* Ambassador of Guinea to Sierra Leone
* Ambassador of Liberia to Sierra Leone
* High Commissioner of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to Sierra Leone
* High Commissioner of Ghana to Sierra Leone
* High Commissioner of The Gambia to Sierra Leone
* General Consul of Italy in Sierra Leone
* Honorary Consul-General of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in Sierra Leone
* Honorary Consul-General of Ireland in Sierra Leone
* Honorary Consul-General of Japan in Sierra Leone
* Honorary Consul-General of India to Sierra Leone
* Honorary Consul of Senegal in Sierra Leone
* Honorary Consul of Switzerland in Sierra Leone
* Honorary Consul of Syria in Sierra Leone
* Honorary Consul of Turkey in Sierra Leone
* Honorary Consul of Mali in Sierra Leone
* Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Sierra Leone
* Honorary Consul of Romania in Sierra Leone
* Honorary Consul of Norway in Sierra Leone
* Honorary Consul of Hungary in Sierra Leone
* Honorary Consul of France in Sierra Leone
* Honorary Consul of Belgium in Sierra Leone
* Honorary Consul of The Netherlands in Sierra Leone
* Honorary Consul of Spain in Sierra Leone
* Honorary Consul of Serbia in Sierra Leone
* Honorary Consul of Austria in Sierra Leone
* Honorary Consul of Denmark in Sierra Leone
* Honorary Consul of Russia in Sierra Leone
* Honorary Consul of Malaysia in Sierra Leone
* Honorary Consul of South Africa in Sierra Leone
* Civil Society Movement – Sierra Leone (CSM – SL)
* Media Reform Coordinating Group of Sierra Leone (MRCG)
* Sierra Leone Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (SLANGO)
* Civil rights Defenders – Sierra Leone
* National Elections Watch (NEW) – Sierra Leone
* Campaign for Good Governance (CGG) – Sierra Leone
* Women’s Forum – Sierra Leone
* Network Movement for Justice and Development (NMJD)
* Sierra Leone Legal Aid Board
* Faith-Based and Interfaith Organizations – (Interreligious Council of Sierra Leone)
* Council of Churches in Sierra Leone (CCSL)
* Fourah Bay College – University of Sierra Leone
* Institute of Governance Reform (IGR)
* Youth Partnership for Peace and Development (YPPD)
* Children’s Forum Network
* Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) – Sierra Leone
* Awoko Newspaper – Sierra Leone
* Liberty TV Online – Sierra Leone
* Radio Democracy 98.1 FM Station – Sierra Leone
* The New York Times
* The Washington Post
* The USA Today
* The Cable News Network (CNN)
* The MicroSoft National Broadcast Corporation (MSNBC)
* The Fox News
* The Associated Press
* Thomson Reuters
* The National Public Radio (NPR)
* The Brookings Institution
* The Heritage Foundation
* The Center For American Progress
* The National Association For The Advancement Of Colored People (NAACP)
* The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
* The MoveOn
* The Democratic National Committee
* The Republican National Committee
* The EMILY’s List
* The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
* The Sky News
* Al Jazeera
* The Independent Television (ITV)
* The Times
* The Financial Times
* The Guardian
* The Daily Telegraph